#😂 garak thinking what i'm thinking

[bagheerita]

literally, does this dude ever shut up

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 2x22 The Wire thoughts (I'm re-watching, so there may be future spoilers)

I'm so excited to watch this again!

I guess we don't know that Julian had the choice to "entertain one of his lady friends" the night before, but I certainly choose to believe he did, he wanted to finish Garak's book more :p

Garak's stammering in "Doctor, what do you think you're doing?" :3

"In my expert medical opinion, I'd say it's sick." XD

"Keiko would be proud of you." Hah - the thing is I can imagine the overly-excited Julian telling her about this at some point and her just sweetly saying "well done, I'm impressed" but in her teacher voice she uses for seven year olds

"It's not like you two are really friends." Julian is NOT being subtle here that at the very least he WANTS to be real friends 😅 this man and lying...

Okay and now he's stabbing the plant with the hypospray because he's so frustrated with not being able to help Garak

VERY dramatic entrance, doctor.

😬😂That looked suspiciously like Quark was miming giving Julian oomax while saying "maybe a late night session in a holosuite".

"Try not to yell at any more admirals for a while." "I wasn't yelling. I was just expressing my feelings. Loudly." Gotta love Sisko

Oh, his poor dejected face at the information recurring taking weeks :3

Love how Julian is called to take care of Garak - this isn't Dr Bashir being called, it's not a medical emergency. It's Julian being Garak's only known friend who's requested.

Is it just me or did Julian check Garak or when he said "We'll go to my quarters"?

That drink exchange was VERY smooth of Quark and Julian

"I routinely monitor all of Quark's subspace communications." "Is that legal?" XD

"I see your point"... That's actually the exact same phrase as altered!Julian uses in Dramatis Personae - only this time it's ihm agreeing to do something questionable with Odo, last time it was to do something reasonable with him.

" I hope you don't have one of those little bugs hidden in my quarters." "Should I?" What's the betting Julian's going to be paranoid about this for a few weeks?

Julian's "What?! *sigh*" after being told Garak had left the infirmary. Idk it gave me feels.

I'm here for his Angry Pacing

"Doctor, did anyone ever tell you that you are an infuriating pest" "Chief O'Brien all the time, and I don't pay any attention to him either." That answer came SO quickly, he didn't even have to think about it

"I'm a doctor. You're my patient. That's all I need to know" JULIAN I CANNOT WITH YOU

Ohh, his sad looking downness <3 <3

Endless endless compassion, I love you so much

"Right now I'm not concerned with what you did in the past. I'm simply not going to walk out of here and let you die. We need to turn that implant off and whatever withdrawal symptoms or side effects you may experience, I promise I'll help you through them." Is he really not in love with Garak?! Because this is some gay shit Julian Subatoi Bashir. GAY I tell you

"In that case I want to talk to him now. Wake him up." "I'll do no such thing." "Doctor, these are murder cases and Garak may be a suspect." "That may be so, but he's still my patient and I won't have him disturbed." I am WILD about calmly resolute Doctor Bashir

I love a sleepy Julian :3

Garak's manic speech is incredible. WHAT a performance. My word. I couldn't look away.

" I can't believe that I actually enjoyed ... staring into your smug, sanctimonious face." Staring into Julian's face sounds pretty gay to me, Garak. (Who wouldn't enjoy staring at it though?)

Ah yes, wrestling on the floor with your alien crush while he is out of his mind. Definitely never happened before in Trek. No parallels here to be drawn.........

"I don't want to hurt you." And presumably he actually could.

Julian whizzing through all the samples, brining one back having seen it for all of 2 seconds and immediately knowing which one to overlay it with. THAT SEEMS PRETTY GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TO ME. I swear I don't know how that crackpot retcon worked so well, but it DOES

"More than I deserve." Oooh, callback to earlier int he episode when he said "Has it ever occurred to you that I might be getting exactly what I deserve?" .... My HEART

"I've about given up on learning the truth from you, Garak."I The FONDNESS with which he SAYS this!

"We were closer than brothers...."Sons of Train" welp, that's the 'true' bit

Holding handsssss!!!

There's no way Sisko sanctioned this, right? Did Julian just steal the shuttle craft?!

Okay then, just beam into the house of someone you know to be extremely dangerous and start poking around?! Your curiosity, Julian, I swear...

*wide smile* "I always drink Tarkalian! ..." -suddenly realises that this is VERY personal information Tain has on him- "...Tea."

Did he just GIGGLE? *rewatches* Yep, it's definitely there - "Are all the Starfleet Lieutenants as brash as you are?" "I couldn't say - hehe - though I doubt it."

"I thought you were his friend." "I suppose I am." YES HE SAID IT that's the first step

"Information is your business." Julian you are bold as BRASS

"he'll never come home again" oof, knowing the double meaning of home as Cardassia and to Tain

The disappointment in Julian's face at the answer to his "Who was Elim?" question

Ohhh, that last conversation. Julian's so damn fond of him. That smile at the end. They ARE in love.

Well this was delightful. What a good episode. I had forgotten, and wasn't sure if it had just been hyped up. But no. Truly phenomenal. Thanks, DS9!

[the-last-dillpickle]

What’s Sloan’s ideal sloanshir scenario? Is he daydreaming about unrealistic true love happily ever afters? Does he want to break Julian so that he can put the pieces back together in a pleasingly fucked up way? Does he want to perfectly manipulate Julian into wanting him, while he still only holds contempt for him? Does he want Julian to stay defiant even as he’s forced to do what Sloan wants? Something else? Any or all of these? Would love to hear your thoughts

OMG I love all of these! I'm someone who's got a very 'It's all true' take on fandom, so I would def enjoy seeing any or all of these concepts explored in fic or otherwise. Honestly tho? I think going as close to canon and writer's intent as possible while remaining Sloanshir---Sloan wants, in part, to be a Garak. He wants forgiveness/understanding from someone he sees as morally upright. He wants to be seen. But unlike Garak, he's not getting kicked out of his organization anytime soon and so he's not going to stop his BS. I think Sloan also wants Julian's gratitude. He wants Julian, the platonic ideal of a Federation idealist who Sloan does what he does to protect, to see how dark of a world Sloan must navigate in order to keep the shining utopia of the Federation going.

Sloan's ideal sloanshir is a sort of wistful romance. Their meetings are fleeting but passionate. He has Julian's respect, and though Sloan can and will betray him on occasion, Julian gets it. He forgives it. Sloan is also DEF cheating on Jessica in this scenario 😂 (what happens during spy work stays in spy work.) Maybe Sloan tells Julian about her eventually, and imaginary Julian is all, "She's a lucky woman." They don't often have moral/ethical discussions but when they do, it always ends with a draw (there are things Julian cannot condone and remain the idealist in Sloan's mind) or with Julian conceding that Sloan is right. Basically, the whole relationship is about making Sloan feel better about himself and to give him a sense of emotional closeness that he's lost with his family due to his spywork.

Of course, Julian's complete and utter disdain for Sloan ruins any possibility of this, and so Sloan is willing to settle with hatesex and indulging his sadomasochistic side by playing mindgames.

[markcampbells]

002 | Give me a character & I will tell you: Spock

I also got this from an anon so I'm assuming everyone's like we know how she feels about McKirk, what about Spock?? 😂

How I feel about this character: Okay, so… it is not the character, it is the fanbase. Spock is awesome! All three actors do an absolutely fantastic job! But the fanbase is kind of… too much for me. I'm not speaking so much about the intense love for him as I am talking about projecting things onto him that have very little to do with the writers' initial intent and then getting angry when canonical portrayals don't match up. Like, people will absolutely INSIST that Spock is gay and then get angry when he's paired with women in new incarnations, despite the fact that (a) bisexual+ people exist, so him being with a woman does not automatically make him straight, and (b) Spock was never intended to be anything but heterosexual anyway. I won't deny that SNW in particular has made some choices where I understand the frustration--I absolutely understand why Jewish fans are upset by the bacon scene--but I think the preciousness over Spock and his fanon is what puts people like me off him a bit. He's a great character, excellently portrayed, but I could really do without the people who can't recognize where their fanon ends and canon begins.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I understand the love for Spirk! But of the triumvirate and its satellite ships, it's kind of the least interesting to me. I like how Spock/Uhura works as a companion ship to McKirk! And I think SNW is doing really cool stuff with Spock/Christine and the idea that a young Spock would explore emotionality that way (especially after seeing his parents' marriage).

My non-romantic OTP for this character: The triumvirate, of course! Particularly in Star Trek V, I love the warmth and camaraderie of the camping scenes. I also really love his familial dynamics with Amanda and Michael (Sarek is… complicated…), and when it comes to Pike, the SNW S1 finale actually made me cry with how it portrayed their relationship and its impact on both of them.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I kinda accidentally got into that earlier, didn't I. Oops. I think something that strikes me about Spock and how I relate to fanon is I actually see him more as aro/ace, but I understand how complicated that gets as a headcanon because it might imply that aro/ace people are unemotional, etc. I sort of see him as a keen observer of relationship dynamics (in McKirk fics, I always appreciate a Spock who understands they're romantically involved but keeps quiet out of discretion), but someone who doesn't necessarily desire a romantic relationship for himself.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I totally understand why the subsequent AOS movies past the first one used him sparingly--having him in the first movie at all is a base to bridge the universes on--but I would find more knowledge of what Spock did to rebuild Vulcan society and how he adjusted to a new universe fascinating!

my OTP: Secondary to McKirk, I really do see the appeal of Spones! I think they're an awesome ship and I want to write more for their dynamic (thus far I've written a friendship fic I'm still really proud of). I love both the silly memes people make about them as well as the serious meta people do about why these characters work as a pairing and their relationship to each other.

my cross over ship: I don't think about crossover ships that much! Although now that I'm thinking about it, I would find him having some sort of relationship with Garak fascinating. Garak lies and eludes constantly, and Spock is held to not lie but actually does, and I think they could play off each other in an interesting way. Plus Garak is so lively and jovial whereas Spock is more serious but also has a dry wit I think Garak would love.

a headcanon fact: In my fic I linked above, I tried to build more on the idea of Spock having a dyslexia-like condition that Discovery established. I thought it was pretty cool that Discovery gave a character who's well-known for his intellect a learning disability! I like the idea that it gives him a lot of empathy for those in similar situations and that he's able to use his past struggles to help those on ship crews or in academic settings who need it.

[sparklyslug]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @aidaronan and @softbrah thank yewwwwwww!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

50!!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

405,752

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now it's all Stranger Things, all the time baby. But you never know when the madness might strike for something new. Or re-strike for something I thought I was done with haha.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In Focus (Check Please) Up the Punks (Stranger Things) we're gonna fight til we do it right (Check Please) If you want him, come and claim him (Stranger Things) t'hy'la (Stranger Things)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I'm usually really good about it for the first day or so after a fic has posted, and then I kind of.... fall off with it usually. I read all comments! I appreciate all comments! Usually what happens is I see the email notif on my phone, mentally go "ah I will craft a perfectly thoughtful and appreciative and stirring response to this later when I have time to do it justice!" and then I do not do that.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The one that comes to mind is a fic I wrote for the Hobbit, hands too small to hold it, which is an AU where everyone lives but Bilbo still has the ring and the events of LOTR are still barreling towards them.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Let Us Dwell in Fair Ithilien and There Make a Garden with @greenlikethesea is ONE BIG MASSIVE HAPPY ENDING (after 10+years of tragic angsty pining but w/e). I also wrote a little happy family ever after Garak/Bashir for Star Trek DS9, between the noise.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

noooo it's never happened! If I'm getting hate it's behind my back ahaha who knows what goes down in y'alls discords, that’s none of my business! Im a Leo and I work in marketing, so I am not terribly tortured by that kind of thing ahahaha

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

SURE DO! I don't know what "what kind" means. The smut kind. I've done closed door fade to black, I've done some explicit stuff, I try to give you range baby.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I LOVE A CROSSOVER! Star Trek/Stranger Things is pretty crazy. My current project is Stranger Things/You've Got Mail put in a blender with Supernatural, so that's decently zany too.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I thought Quorum had been translated into Chinese, but I can't find any evidence of it, so might be all in my head ahaha.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I love to collaborate with folks! When the creative chemistry is right it's RIGHT, and it's so fun to ping-pong ideas and paragraphs back and forth. I co-wrote Check Please fics with @softbrah, have written a universe of Stranger Things fic with @greenlikethesea, and it's all been a blast. Me and @aidaronan are cooking up some ideas, if the two of us can ever stop signing up for bangs and things long enough to get to em.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Well of course I will say Steddie right now because I've been living here for over a year and a half. It truly does have just the most delicious dynamic, however the setup and wherever you take their characterizations.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't know if I'll ever finish my Vampire Eddie immediately post-canon fic, I didn't have much direction with it, just Vibes.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I'm good with atmospheric sensory details, it's something I really care about when writing at least. I definitely enjoy dialogue, too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes are hard, and I struggle with nailing (heh) the physicality of sex scenes. My haters in their discords are welcome to chime in here 😂😂

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I have no thoughts in particular. If it works in the fic and you've made sure your translation is right if you're not fluent in that language, hell yeah.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Lord of the Rings. You will never see this fic.

N E V E R.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

IT IS REALLY HARD TO CHOSE AMONGST MY CHILDREN. I put a lot of my heart into I was open to pain and crossed by the rain (Wayne Munson my beloved) and I'm really proud of what I did with that one. I truly wrote Can't We Be Seventeen knowing it was really just for me, to scratch one of those desperate writing itches after an intense period of fixating on the Heathers musical soundtrack, and I really like that fic too.

Tagging @occasionaloverboy@greenlikethesea @thefreakandthehair @henrystars @capriciouslyterminal

[nebulouscoffee]

I can't do the little emoji but for the ask game, what do you do when you get stuck writing?

Thanks so much! :)

Depends on why I'm stuck, I think - usually if a chapter just isn't inspiring me enough to write it, I assume it's probably going to be boring to read, too (I don't actually know whether this is true, but it's definitely a feeling I can't shake!) So what I usually do is mess with the format and/or framing a little lol. For example, I knew the climax of 'Pretenders' was going to be the secret agent holoprogram but with Garak playing Agent Bashir and Julian playing the villain, and all those messy emotions coming out the more and more they got into the roles- but apart from the entertainment value of some of the "lol look how cheesy this program is" jokes, I remember feeling like my outline for this chapter's events just wasn't interesting enough. I also wanted to convey that outside of the "play", Garak was trying to slip back into his old familiar role as an interrogator to escape feeling vulnerable, to try and regain control over this massive dissociation of the self while slowly heading for a mental breakdown- but I didn't want to use words like "dissociation" or "breakdown", I just thought that felt too basic for him! Given his weird, twisted brand of self-awareness from canon. He's too good at lying to himself! It's too normal, Garak would find some way to spin this whole situation into a safely "unreal" story instead! - But once I decided to convey this stuff by alternating between a script format whenever he was in Interrogator Mode and regular prose whenever he's the one to crack and/or accidentally lose himself in the experience- which flips around by the end when he's caged himself in his own narrative (and more and more thoughts in brackets as he dissociates), the chapter just suddenly became sooo much fun to write. Like I had such a blast it turned out maybe six thousand words too long haha!

Conversely, if I get stuck while writing because I suddenly discovered a plot hole, well... 'The Trill with the Golden Gun' hasn't updated since last September, so what do I know really😂

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

For the ask game: ✦ what was your easiest fic to write & your hardest?

▵ pick a fic and I’ll tell you my favorite line - 'Resting Place'

✿ did anything major change when you started writing [fic] to when you finished? - 'Say You'll Stay With Me'

↻ pick a fic and a different ship and I’ll tell you how I’d rewrite it - okay so remember some time ago you mentioned a fic idea where the runabout from Purgatory/Inferno gets stranded in the Gamma Quadrant indefinitely, and we had this funny conversation about potential polycules that might emerge? 'Brave Little Fool' + that😂

⊞ send a prediction for a fic i’ll write in the future - JPAU's gonna be EPIC and yes I'm biased but I'm also right <3

▵ pick a fic and I’ll tell you my favorite line - 'Resting Place'

Ooh good question! I’d have to pick this one:

“Neither will this tender moment - they may recreate it millions of times over, but each night will be like no other, never quite capturing the majesty of what came before but always bringing with it new miracles.”

✿ did anything major change when you started writing [fic] to when you finished? - 'Say You'll Stay With Me'

I think the main difference between what I thought this fic would be and what it became was that the tone of the (semi) finished product is much darker than I anticipated. I was like ‘oh boy! Time to write a goofy, self-indulgent siskoshir Pretty Woman AU!’ and then came the horrors. For example, Julian’s eating disorder wasn’t mentioned ONCE in my original planning document, but now it’s a very significant part of the fic. The stuff with Eddington was less overtly grim in my original plan too. Also Kira was meant to be there in the role of the security guard that helps out Julia Roberts’ character in the film, but I just couldn’t quite fit her in once I actually started writing it.

↻ pick a fic and a different ship and I’ll tell you how I’d rewrite it

Ahh you’ve just reminded me how much I love the Gamma Quadrant road trip with the boys AU!! I think it’d be pretty complicated with the context of ‘Brave Little Fool’, particularly with Garak involved. I think Julian and Martok’s relationship in BLF was very much formed out of desperation, fear, and loneliness, so they’d definitely function differently as a couple once that immediate threat has been taken away - sure, there’s still the threat of them being on the run from the Dominion, but having the freedom to fly around in a runabout is very different to being stuck in a prison. But as for our friend Gark, it’d really depend on the status of garashir in this verse - I don’t think they’d be fully together here, but there’s definitely Something going on. So poor Julian’s stuck in a runabout with a) a Cardassian spy (?) he has Undefined Yet Intense Sexual Tension with, and b) a Klingon general he had a romance with that was built on a foundation of mutual desperation and terror. What is a man to do?? As for Worf, I honestly think he’d be too devoted to Jadzia to worry about joining Julian’s messy not-quite-love triangle. He just misses his worm.

⊞ send a prediction for a fic i’ll write in the future

Aww thank you! I really hope I’ll be able to pull off the Jedi Padmé AU in a way that is as epic as you predict! I also hope that I’ll actually be able to write it all eventually, because HOO BOY is it shaping up to be an absolute monster of a fic series!!

[meatmensch]

I posted 2,795 times in 2021

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I added 3,422 tags in 2021

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My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Maybe this is obvious to people with more than a few braincells but the three stories that Garak tells in The Wire represent all of the conflicting feelings that he has about his work in the Order and the occupation, and how his morals are developing and changing during his time on the station.

In the first story, he regrets killing a hundred Cardassian civilians in order to kill a few Bajorans. He claims that in doing this, he also killed Elim. In a manner of speaking he killed himself in order to follow his orders for the good of Cardassia and to appease his father.

In the second story, he regrets letting a few Bajoran kids go because at the end of the day he doesn’t think that interrogating people who don’t know anything is worth it plus he just wants to relax. “Elim couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked at me as if I were insane.” He was being merciful to those Bajoran kids because it served himself and some genuinely good part of him that wanted to do the right thing. The hardcore trained spy in him was like, “Um. Hello???” and the rest of him was like “Dude I’m so over it. Fuck ALL of this.”

In the third story, he claims that he framed Elim for letting Bajoran prisoners go, but Elim did the same thing to him first. He regrets betraying himself to stay alive, on Cardassia, and doing fucked up morally despicable shit; and in the end he still got exiled.

Also, “Don’t give up on me now, Doctor. Patience has its rewards,” is just as much him pleading with himself as it is him pleading with Bashir. It’s him thinking, “Maybe I can figure out what the fuck I actually believe in. Maybe I can redeem myself in whatever way I need to be redeemed, or at least do something good. Maybe I can lead a meaningful life.” And by the end of the series he does that. He didn’t give up, he stuck it out living in an on-fire garbage can, and in the end he clearly doesn’t approve of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor and believes that Cardassia needs to change and plays an active role in bringing about that change.

125 notes • Posted 2021-05-10 04:15:19 GMT

#4

frankly insane dean thoughts but what if, when he was making the mixtape, he kinda freaked out about the parallel between him and cas, and his parents. because he knows that wasn't a loving, healthy, safe, real relationship, and while he and cas aren't exactly perfect, hell, they aren't even together together, he wants to at least try to be better. so he thinks about "he knew the words to every zeppelin son" and wonders "do i even want to make cas a zeppelin tape?" and then he's like ummmm yes i do. duh. obviously. lol. my parents don't define me and led zeppelin is the tits. and i love cas. and you know what i'm spelling tracks with xx because i want to give him kisses.

199 notes • Posted 2021-12-07 07:45:47 GMT

#3

"Most people are curious about my extraordinary abilities. My extreme strength. How fast I can compute. No one has ever asked if my hair grows. :)" (I'm paraphrasing one of Data's lines from the TNG episode where Bashir comes aboard.)

Julian is a friendly doctor and is interested in how alive and human-like Data is. That in itself is very funky fresh! But also...from a Watsonian perspective...maybe that was a beautiful display of empathy.

Maybe Julian, an augment, met Data, this guy with superhuman strength, smarts, abilities, etc, who has been treated like shit by many members of the Federation and Starfleet, and thought, "If I were outed as an augment, the best case scenario is that I would be treated like Data. And he gets treated like shit, even in everyday situations with colleagues just like me. I bet he feels alienated. I bet he doesn't feel human. I'm not going to ask him to make big calculations or lift heavy shit. I'm going to ask him about things that remind him he is a being deserving of equality and respect." (Maybe not in so many words, but - actually, what the fuck am I talking about? He probably used more words. It's Julian we're talking about here.)

Then he did that. I can't even fucking imagine how Data felt. To have this kind doctor (He specializes in humans! He of all people would know!) just be like, "You're very human. Whoever made you clearly put a lot of effort into making you very human." When Data's whole thing is that he so deeply and truly yearns to experience humanity?

I can't fucking. Oh my God. Jesus Christ. Holy fuck

If only Data could have known! If only he could have known where Julian was coming from; how lonely and ostracized he felt. At least Data can be out - never had a choice - and at least with him there's not Khan-related stigma. If only Data could have reciprocated the validation that Julian gave him!

287 notes • Posted 2021-07-06 04:15:53 GMT

#2

old marrieds garak and julian be like "my dear doctor bashir :) is the cardassian heat getting to you today? your poor delicate terran body. let me get you a glass of rokassa juice :)" and julian's like "you must be going senile :) you know i fucking hate that shit :)" and garak's like "YOU must be going senile :) of course i remember you don't like it but don't YOU remember that it is great for dehydration" and julian's like "whatever. it disgusts me. YOU disgust me" and garak just gets him a glass of space gatorade and turns on the fan and says with all the love in his heart "and you disgust me my dear" and they're just like. so happy and in love lol

294 notes • Posted 2021-12-18 06:59:58 GMT

#1

dean goes to garth for a dental check up and one of the things he learns is that he really needs to wear a mouthguard to bed unless he wants to get a million root canals. garth makes him a fitted mouthguard and he grumbles and groans about having to wear it but he wears it everyyy night. he puts it in says "goob neigh casthe, i lobbe yeuo" and then snorkkk mimimi snorkkk mimimi. cas sees/hears this and is filled with lust

450 notes • Posted 2021-12-29 06:49:18 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[flootzavut]

"They literally had the option to make it be more even and they didn't."

MMHMMMMM YES THIS.

IIRC, Julian is canonically 27 at the start of the show; Jadzia says she's 28 and he's 27 in Emissary when Sisko is teasing her about Julian, I'd go so far as to say it's both Jadzia and Julian's first scene? (I'm PRETTY sure it's that way around, though I can't be absolutely certain. He's definitely in his late 20s/close in age to Jadzia.) So that means he's early to mid thirties by the last season; the age gap is potentially over a decade, depending on how old Ezri is.

I know there's a post around with fairly well sourced birth years for them all. I can't for the life of me recall exactly the age difference but I believe Ezri is like a year older than Jake Sisko. Which really puts some perspective on that 😬 With Ezri you have Dax to take into account, but she didn't want to be joined and wasn't prepared for it, and it was in fact portrayed as something that had screwed her over quite a lot, not something that had made her mature for her age, so that doesn't help a lot, if at all. Also of course it's not just about the specific age gap but about relative life stages and maturity and stuff. Like, a 60 year old and a 69 year old is an entirely different kettle of fish from say a 19 year old and a 28 year old. If they were both a bit older rather than her being in her early twenties, it would creep me out less. Ezri is both young AND she's been screwed over by the symbiont situation, so that leans it well into the creepy side for me personally... also, it's not even necessarily about Ezri/Julian per se, although it's a canon romance I really don't like, it's more...

... okay apologies, verbal diarrhoea incoming, there's a TL/DR at the end of the post 😂

So, an age difference in and of itself, even when the younger party is that young, isn't as bad to me as the fact that seems to be Trek's default. If it was just one or two couples, it would be less glaring; it's how often the pattern gets repeated that makes it less of a "specific thing with this couple" and more "someone at Trek HQ really likes to give older men much younger and less experienced love interests" 😬 that to me is where it becomes something gross. If it was just one couple that has a significant age difference, that could be passable, it happens in real life after all, it isn't necessarily inherently terrible. But this is a pattern of writers repeatedly making a choice to give younger (sometimes MUCH younger) women as love interests to older men, and that's when it gets really creepy. Also links back to how they could easily have made the Ezri/Julian age difference much narrower if they wanted to. They keep choosing to do large age gaps. It's not life just working out some kinda way, it's not just one of those things, it's a trope Trek uses repeatedly, and they choose to use it, they deliberately write it that way. They could have made Ezri much closer in age to Julian and still had be credible, but they chose to make her that much younger. That, and how common it is, is what makes it really creepy.

(Maybe the most fucked up one in DS9 is their attempt to make Ziyal/Garak a thing, Ziyal who's like... what, 18? And Garak whose intended age I'm not sure of, but he is portrayed as being (significantly?) older than Julian, I'd say? So even at my most charitable estimates of Ziyal and Garak's ages, that's a really wide age gap, and maturity wise she's only just on the side of being legally an adult and has spent much of her life as a slave which ain't gonna help with her transitioning to a healthy relationship with a much older man. Dear Trek writers: Yoikes™. Wtf were you thinking?? Well done Andy for shutting that shit down by playing it so damn avuncular that it's hard to take seriously as romance.

Additionally with Garak/Ziyal, Ziyal being vulnerable and inexperienced even for her already young age is a thing that isn't unusual in Trek, and again that gets to be creepy because it's a pattern.

The other two examples that spring to mind are Kes and Seven of Nine. With Kes, yes, she matures faster because that's the nature of her species, but that was a thing they chose to write and then chose to put Kes in relationships with far older men, it wasn't like they were documenting an existing species.

With Seven you have someone who was assimilated at like, six? I believe she's supposed to be canonically 24 when she joins Voyager, which is still fairly young, and then you factor in that most of her formative years were spent as a mindless drone in the Borg, so she's WAY less experienced in interpersonal relationships than an ordinary 24 year old woman. Buuuut yeah let's have her wander around in a catsuit designed to accentuate her curves and put her in relationships or potential relationships with older men, that's totes cool... Again, it's the pattern here that (at least for me personally) makes it gross.

... well no that's not totally true, I think both Kes and Seven would make my brain itch anyway, but the pattern makes it worse.)

And like... this is not a Trek-specific problem, it's a thing that's a problem in a lot of media, but that it's so easy to come up with examples of it within one media property is striking. In isolation, Ezri/Julian would not be my favourite thing. In the context of the choices Trek writers keep making, it makes me go "what the actual fuckening?"

TL;DR: it's a pretty significant age gap in and of itself, but it's part of a pattern, and to me that is what makes it go from "thing I'm not wild about but okay" to "thing that is problematic and frankly creeps me out, wtf Trek writers?"

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x25 Broken Link thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [8 Sept ‘23]

Garak being a matchmaker is everything :3

"You don't know enough about changeling physiology to diagnose what's wrong with me. No one does." XD Usually this is right but then Julian coming in with his "Actually, I do have some idea what's going on." AMAZING 😂

The crew betting on Kira's sneezing is hilarious. XD

"It is not an act, he told me so himself." Oh Worf 😂

"Captain, was Dax's last host as argumentative as this one?" Lol XD

"Doctor, I think we both know where I have to go." "I was hoping it wouldn't come to that." Ohhh <3

"Sir, if Garak is asking to come in board I'm sure he has good reason." JULIAN oh my goodness XD he really does just trust Garak with his whole heart, doesn't he?

Quark coming to see Odo off.

"I'll be back before you know it, making your life miserable." "Then you are coming back" "Count on it" "I will." Given this episode started with a romantic overture...

"I'm thinking of asking Julian to come live with us even things up a little." I WANT THIS AU SO BAD

"Sir--" "Not now, Mr Worf." Yeah we all knew he wanted to object

"Odo is my patient." I ALWAYS love how die-hard Bashir is about protecting his patients from everyone else

"You may go in now, doctor." "Thank you." He's so sarcastic. I love him

"They're dead. You're dead, Cardassia is dead. Your people were doomed the moment they attacked us. I believe that answers your question." "It's been a pleasure meeting you." And that's the moment Garak decides to genocide?

The way Julian looks at Sisko for reassurance after Odo disappears :3

JULIAN'S A DUMBASS. He was really about to throw a rock into the Link??? Sisko's little head tilt like 'why is this a thing I have to tell him not to do?'

"Don't tell me you'd object to a little genocide in the name of self-defence?" Oh, Garak, smh...

"Oh, poor Odo. Perhaps we should have killed you. It would have been far less cruel." Wow. Alright then.

"Yes but my heart was in the right place." 😂 Garak I CANNOT

"I'm saying that he's one of them. Gowron, the head of the Klingon Empire, is a changeling." SUCH a strong ending, POWERFUL. Nice one, season 4!

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x19 Shattered Mirror thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [12 July ‘23]

"Enjoying the view?" "I'm stuck on this new story I'm working on, and coming here helps me focus." "No need to explain, Mister Sisko." Jake is so used to being told off by you, Odo! Aww, but I love how it shows how he's growing up, and other characters see that. :3

"I never chased you away. I chased Nog." So prejudicial, Odo! Jake wasn't exactly a goody-two-shoes

Quark eavesdropping on the conversation and feeling the need to interrupt XD

"Poor kid. I suppose that's what you get for having friends." I shake my head at you, Quark.

The pain in Jake's face upon seeing Jennifer! He's such a good actor.

"You even sound like my mother!" He's so delighted! My heart! 💔

"Maybe the three of us can have dinner together." The SUBTERFUGE, Jennifer!

But the way Sisko just left Jake with her? He can't not trust her, even though she's not his Jennifer.

Kira volunteering to go with him :3 Love herrr

Oh! They didn't get through!

"She likes you." You like Kasidy, Jake! Have you forgotten about how happy your dad is with her?! (Aw bless you really, I'm sure this is super difficult.)

"Bow before the regent!" "I can't think of anything I'd rather do." This Garak has the exact same sarcasm as ours XD

"Believe me, my Regent, it will take the blood of many rebels to quench the thirst of my revenge." "Spoken like a Klingon." "I'm trying." It's strange hearing Garak be forthright!

Mirror!Julian is the weirdest. He's so different.

"If this is supposed to teach me a lesson you might want to turn that little toy of yours to a higher setting." There is definitely a good amount of our Kira in mirror!Kira

Why hasn't Sisko told Jake the truth about what's going on here? Jake would hate to know he's hurting his father by fawning over Jennifer like this.

"What a perverse idea!" Ah yes, you've got her - mirror!Kira will definitely help you, she loves this sort of game.

Garak being accused of stealing the key and then - "The key, sir. Somehow it fell into my boot." - Oh my goodness, that's so tonally different?! Funny, but unexpected -- wild 😂

"So, if it's all right with you, I will see to it that he is sent back to Deep Space Nine." But I know what happens, I'm sure he doesn't get there...

I was expecting Nog to be the informant, somehow

Sisko going to leave, and then stopping and rolling his eyes. He's in far too deep now to turn his back on them.

Killing Jennifer - that was so unnecessary! The Intendant even just left Jake there rather than kidnapping him to ensure her safety?

"We've won!" "You sound surprised." Love how Sisko is always so cool.

Mirror!Worf saying "Make it so" is so weird, right?

Oh, it's not fair Sisko has to watch her die twice, and it's also not fair she had to die in this universe just to make Jake and Ben sad. Gahhh!

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x24 Body Parts thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [8 Sept ‘23]

Jadzia knowing what Keiko likes :3 "She's been talking about this for a long time."

Not Quark having to face his own mortality. Something's clearly up as soon as he walks in.

"How good can he be? He doesn't even charge!" XD Pretty sure you'll be regretting not going to Julian soon...

"Everyone will want a disk of Quark on their desk!" Oh, Rom, you're trying so hard :3

"You're a liar. But I love you." Aww, Quark <3

"The baby... just had a change of address, that's all." Golden XD

"The only two people available were major Kira... and me." Iconic -- yeah, Julian really didn't have to phrase it like that if he didn't want us to think he was a viable option!

"So you're telling me Major Kira's going to have my baby?" Both of their faces XD

"Oh, forget the bidding. This has all been a mistake. My life, coming here, putting a bar on this Cardassian monstrosity of a station. What was I thinking?" Quarrrk

"He always liked me." "He used you when you suited his needs. I don't think that's the same thing." Oh Rom, sometimes Quark should really listen to you.

KIRA AND KEIKO IS SO PRECIOUS. SO PRECIOUS.

"I GET TO SUE FOR MALPRACTICE! And I'm going to live." XD XD Quark's priorities are certainly clear!

Brunt is the best villain. I love this as a plot so much.

"Maybe I wasn't clear. I'm not dying." "Maybe I wasn't clear. I don't care." 👌👌

"It's people like you that give honest Ferengi businessmen a bad name." "I can reform." I love this whole conversation, seeing the flip side of Quark being better than other Ferengi rather than "worse" then the Federation lot.

Miles is so soft with Keiko <3 It's strange seeing her being the vulnerable one, usually Keiko's the one to look after Miles when he's Been Through A Thing. I like it though. :3

"I shouldn't have to make an appointment to see my own child." Ohhhh 😭

"Defying Ferengi tradition isn't so bad." XD

"As an assassin." Garak's face going to complete shock. He has a perfect :o face

"We have an idea that we'd like you to consider." "It's just an idea. We don't want to pressure you." "We have an idea we don't want to press you." "Go ahead." <3 The way Miles and Keiko exchange nervous looks <3 <3 <3

"Garak? If you're in here, I'm not gonna be surprised!" Yeah, this isn't going to work. 😂

Rom's acting as the Grand Nagus is very impressive

Oh this is an actual dream? Not Rom in a holosuite?

Keiko's casual touch :3

"Are you my aunt?" "Well--" caught in headlights. "Sounds right to me." Awww. Yay DS9 polycule! :3

Sisko and Odo being overly dramatic XD

"Where do you want this" "You can't do this! Not without paying a storage fee!" Hah! Funny how fond I've come to be of Quark's ways.

"And you thought you had no assets." Awwww. Sweet. Only a few episodes ago Quark was saying friendship was pointless, now look at him 😂❤❤❤

[nebulouscoffee]

Hey! I'm really sorry that life has been so rough lately, I'm keeping you in my thoughts 🙏 here are some things I'd love to hear your thoughts about, & feel free to make it as long & detailed as you want! 1/your favourite piece of Bajoran worldbuilding (from the show or from a fic you've read or from your own headcanons - you decide!); 2/your favourite type of alien clothing on any star trek (or single favourite alien outfit) & why you like it; 3/what your concept for Ben & Kasidy's child is: who they are, who they grow up to be, etc.; & finally, 4/your opinions about the clock Ben builds in "Dramatis personae". Here you go! Take care <3

... this is so incredibly sweet, thank you😭😭 I really truly appreciate it, as well as all of these Very interesting questions❤️❤️

Ahhh it's hard to pick, I love so much about Bajoran worldbuilding! First of all the non-linearity of their religion is SO COOL & mind-blowing to think about, & I really love the way it- by its very nature- allows you to re-contextualise so much of the show's lore. Like- is Joseph Sisko written into ancient Bajoran prophecies thanks to his non-linear affair with a Prophet?? Do those prophecies inform or influence traditional archetypes of love in Bajoran culture?? Did Kira grow up learning about an archetype of corporeal love based entirely on Joseph Sisko, the father of an alien man who would decades later become her boss??? I don't know!! But I can write fic about it!!! (And then not post it!!!🙈😂) I do headcanon that dominant Bajoran cultures all have strong archetypical figures, it just makes sense to me given their caste system & that "three brothers" story Kira tells Ben & just how much emphasis they as people place on roles and duty and their place in the world (and on their world). I also love the recurring theme that they greatly value (and like, listen to) their planet. They talk about Bajor like it's a living organism, one big ecosystem they are all a part of, and whenever there are floods, famines, earthquakes, etc, they pay attention, as if its a bug in the immune system- such an interesting contrast to Cardassia, where they plundered their own resources & then came for others. There's this whole collective spiritual (rather than strictly political or social) connectivity that I find very fascinating- something about Kira thinking of herself as simply an empty "vessel" to the powers that safeguard her planet & connect her to her fellow Bajorans. It makes me wonder about their large diaspora, & the sort of pain Bajorans like Ro may carry around over that forced separation. Oh, and that they have Fire Caves. Like those Fire Caves were really just hanging around the whole time huh. Also that Proper hasperat is apparently supposed to be made with a brine so strong your eyes water. So that's five things!

2. Garak's Watermelon Suit.

3.

Lol jk. Garak does have some fire 'fits tho (that red and black tunic with the embroidery? A Look🙌) Anyway,

2. I also think Lenara's purple formal dress was really pretty! And most of Quark's outfits are killer tbh. The detail!

Kira's dress from 'Fascination' was fun- and I like both Winn Adami costumes a lot, the vedek robes with the opera house hat & also the golden kai robes. Again, there's a lot of cool details (esp with that elliptical Bajoran symbol & patterned fabric which the 90s quality completely nukes.) Oh, and speaking of hats- all of Guinan's hats are iconic, and Jadzia's Klingon wedding dress was pretty cool too. Basically I am terrible at choosing things; I just now remembered Spock's Goth Chic robe from TMP and that reminded me SNW has been doing some really cool things with T'Pring's wardrobe-

3. The siskasidy baby!!! I have named this baby so many different things in post-canon fics lol, everything from Jennifer to Sarah to Jadzia ("Jazzy", or "Jazz" for short- I think this is my favourite, given how Avery Brooks seems to be irl about jazz.) I don't think I have any real headcanons about who they grow up to be (I'd love to hear any ideas you may have!) but I did come to terms with Ben missing out on their first year(s?) by imagining he sort of spiritually shares consciousness with several Bajorans over that time period (very much consensually, like this is an experience that allows these Bajorans to walk with the Prophets for a time & also enriches Ben's- and the Prophets'- understanding of Bajoran life) and these Bajorans befriend Kasidy & look out for her and the baby <3

4. Lmaooo I have SO many feelings about this clock. Like WHY did he build a CLOCK. *frantic strings across conspiracy board* I know, I know, the writers were probably just going for something random at the time, it was, at heart, a goofysilly s1 episode that easily could've been on TNG or VOY- but it really does become sort of mind-blowing when you consider it in the grander scheme of Ben's arc. Plus- they kept it in his office throughout the series!! They put it in JAKE'S HOME in the alternate 'Visitor' timeline!! I do think that episode implies their weird behaviours also came from somewhere within them (that's how I like to explain Kira Your-taste-in-men-frightens-me Nerys flirting with Weird Aliens Odo & Dax anyway😂), so I like to think Ben just has this deep ponderance of time & temporality just like. Sitting within him somewhere. The clock was actually from an ancient Gamma Quadrant civilisation whose memories possessed them all, but I still feel like that last shot where Ben sets off the timepiece he (for some reason) built from scratch and lets it tick was Symbolic somehow. Like- this man is part-Prophet!! He was conceived non-linearly his birth was arranged he was always meant to discover the Celestial Temple aka the path to- you guessed it- the Gamma Quadrant!! Something something Events Set In Motion

[nebulouscoffee]

36 + 48?

Thanks for the ask friend! 🥰

What fic are you proudest of?

The fic I'm proudest of is actually something I have not yet worked up the courage to post lmao, but it is a Kira-centric story called 'When The Fighting Stops' that oscillates between her past during the Occupation, her present on DS9, and her future on Bajor; all told through the non-linear lens of a Bajoran prophecy. I wrote it SO long ago (it's almost a year old at this point!!) and while I do still open up the document and make little changes sometimes, I actually do think it's quite good- plus it explores some harder topics that are close to my heart, so writing it was genuinely cathartic. Unfortunately, this has also meant that every attempt to share it has resulted in me panic closing the ao3 window before I can hit post- apparently the mere thought of other human beings reading it makes me feel like I'm naked in an aquarium tank lol. But, someday!! SOMEDAY!!!

From what I've posted, I can't really choose a fic but two segments I'm quite proud of are 'Who We Are' chapter 2 (the Ezri "joining" sequence) and 'Pretenders' chapter 8 (in which Garak & Bashir play the secret agent program BUT Garak is Agent Bashir and Julian is the Bond villain, both are secretly trying to interrogate the other, and Garak is also kind of having a mental breakdown the whole time. It goes about as disastrously as you'd expect😂)

Who is your favorite character to write for?  Has this changed since you’ve started writing for that fandom?

Ooooh, I don't know... Maybe it's because I tend to write for the ensemble, rather than focusing on one or two characters (or maybe I just suck at choosing things) but I really don't think I can choose! They're all so fun in different ways (I've joked before that even my ship fics are all just basically gen ensemble content I bait you into reading using your otp, and I hate to say it but that's lowkey true lol)

[nebulouscoffee]

Sending the rare pair I rotate when I wanna think about Mess: Keiko/Garak

LOL okay, this one is complicated- I both ship it, and don't ship it? So what I shall do is answer all six questions😂

What made you ship it?

Let's be honest. Keiko gets a really bad deal on DS9. Like, she was THE senior civilian botanist on the flagship of the Federation and now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere, separated from all her old friends and colleagues- and growing a few plants. Not to mention, experiencing weekly traumas via proximity to the unluckiest man in the quadrant (aka, her husband). I think it's pretty explicit in canon that Keiko never wanted to move to DS9 in the first place, so in a sense- it's almost like she's... in exile. (wink, wink.)

Now, with all the complaining Garak does about his professional fall from grace, his once-respected skillset being wasted on menial, mundane work- "I used to be at the top of my field, now look at me, I'm sewing dresses!"- it's not hard to imagine him seeing a kindred spirit in Keiko. He's a very good tailor. She's a very good teacher. So good, it makes them both want to barf... or, meet up for dinner once a week in the arboretum to commiserate (and maybe have some shameful yet unexpectedly satisfying sex about it lol)

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Like you said, the Mess! It's a lot of fun to think about- I don't necessarily want it to happen, but if it did happen it would be fascinating and kind of funny, you know? It's interesting from a character study perspective- you get to explore some of the uglier sides (especially if you're gonna think about this happening in the context of getting back at Miles, maybe even Julian).

[Gonna preface this next section with the disclaimer that I adore Keiko, Miles and Garak, and none of this is character hate!!!]

So, here's the thing- I struggle to see Keiko going for Garak unless there's some element of petty revenge involved. Maybe it's the early seasons, and she's pissed off at Miles for bringing her here, pissed off at the station's Bajoran population for siding against her when Winn bombed the school, just generally feeling very frustrated and undervalued and unwanted and invisible, and it's like- yeah, what if I just stopped being the Wholesome Starfleet Wife for a second, you know? What if I went and slept with the Cardassian spy?? (Even if you want to interpret the O'Briens as having an open marriage and this not counting as cheating, Garak is still certainly... A Choice lol). Or, maybe it's the later seasons, and now it's more- what, Miles can keep putting his Starfleet career ahead of the family, risking his life, and I can't even go to the Cliffs of Undalar for work? And he's just gonna spend all his free time in the holosuites with Julian and leave me with the kids 26/7? (Whether or not Garak/Bashir are together here is flexible, though it's funny to imagine a Garak who has now decided to hold back so as to not risk their too-important friendship, and he's sooo irritated with himself for having A Sentiment and also insanely jealous of how much time Miles gets with Julian). For maximum toxic fun you can imagine Miles & Julian accidentally get drunk and hook up (and it IS cheating) so now Keiko gets with Garak as revenge!

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Hmm... I guess, any Garak/woman ship would inherently be an unpopular opinion to those who view him as exclusively into men? But imo even if we are reading him as such (and that's definitely a valid read haha), there's still the fact that he would absolutely date a woman just to be petty. Like, let's not forget the one and only time he ever looked at Ziyal with anything resembling romantic interest was when they linked hands in front of Dukat- his whole vibe changed there, like he really did that just to piss Dukat off! Garak is all about theatre and unpredictability and poking people just to get reactions out of them lol, I can definitely see him pulling out all the stops to make himself and Keiko the most fabulous femme 4 femme couple on the station. Like not only would he date her, he would date her very publicly- he would aggressively channel ALL that courtly old-fashioned charm and lay it on really thick. He would offer her his handkerchief. He would pull out her chair. He would make her the most gorgeous dresses. He would treat her to fancy dinners on all the promenade restaurants and grow her extremely rare flowers in the arboretum. He would learn her preferences in bed. He would literally go out of his way to make Miles O'Brien look So Bad😂😂

Why don't you ship it?

Honestly, the problem is just me- I am but a soft-hearted loser who just wants for Keiko O'Brien to be happy lmaooo

Like obviously I do enjoy reading/writing stories where my blorbos are awful, but fundamentally I love seeing them healing and growing and making each other better, sadly. And while Garak is inarguably changed for the better after getting exiled to DS9, Keiko is unfortunately someone I can see becoming worse as a result of the show's events- and I just don't like thinking about it becauseee ahhh it makes me saddddd!!!

What would have made you like it?

Tough to answer since I do like it- thankfully it's not canon, so I can just have fun thinking about the toxic mess of it all without having to write it or keep guiltily glancing at poor lil Molly O'Brien like "baby girl I am so sorry I did this to your parents' marriage😭😭"

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

It's intriguing, it's fun, it centres Keiko in a way that the show (and indeed fan content) rarely ever does- and I guess it doesn't have to be ALL dark! Like I can imagine it originally starting that way, with Garak and Keiko treating each other so well just to spite Miles/Julian- but then it unexpectedly turns into a genuine friendship where they prioritise each other in ways they've never been prioritised (or allowed themselves to be prioritised) before, and they actually end up making more sense of their own desires as a result? There's that one episode where Keiko goes to the trouble of making zabu stew for Rugal... I can just imagine her making some Cardassian food or the other for Garak and him being kinda 🥺 about it. Who knows, maybe they'll all have a laugh about this around the O'Briens' (or the Garak/Bashir) dinner table someday! God I'm boring

[nebulouscoffee]

10, 15, 35, 43 for the Trek ask game?

Thank youuuu and sorry for the late answer! Love these questions <3

10. Which alien pet would you most want for your own?

Honestly I have always been very charmed by Worf's childhood pet domesticated targ (portrayed by Russian wild boar Emmy-Lou😂) - but I would happily adopt a Bajoran hara cat, Cardassian vole, or that cute lizard who climbs over Jadzia on the jungle planet

Anyway look at this lil guy!!!

15. Top 3 favorite alien crewmembers?

Oooh, this is tough. Am I choosing my favs overall, or based on how much I like their alien-ness specifically? If it's the former, then Kira, B'Elanna, and Dax - if it's the latter, then Odo, Worf, and Saru (Discovery). (Deanna and Kes leaving you out Hurt Me but they didn't write you alien enough for the latter list!! Still top 5 favs though <3)

35. A minor character you wish had become a main character?

Okay let's talk about the long-form arc potential both Seska and Suder had. Literally my favourite thing about the Suder episodes is the questions about restorative justice they raise- is there any point in locking a man up after he's sincerely reformed and no longer dangerous? Is it possible to be? Is it fair to the victim's loved ones to give him the right to roam around like nothing happened? What sort of thing could count as "reparations" in Voyager's situation? What if they really had been stranded with him for 75 years? Would he ever have been able to move on from what he did? What sort of hobbies might he take up in his new life? What would it take to win Janeway's trust? Would the victim's friends ever forgive him? Would he rather disembark the ship and start anew somewhere, or remain with his own people? Would he have been able to make new friends? Are you reading this string of questions in Jonathan Frakes's voice too? Would our main characters all have been able to get past his actions? Would it cause disagreements? How would his relationship with Tuvok have progressed? What issues would their getting back to Earth early raise for him? ... Aaaaand then the show decided to give us none of that😂 (well. except for Jonathan Frakes in a brief cameo that is :D) As for Seska I really don't know what they were thinking with her lol. She starts off as such a promising villain- literally the "reveal" in 'State of Flux' gives me chills! And you can actually understand her actions, her unexpected attachments to Chakotay and the crew. Instead of the whole pregnancy subplot (which made no sense) I would've loved to have seen her grow increasingly afraid she'd made a mistake in teaming up with the Kazon, and try to defect back to Voyager - the questions that would raise would be similar to Suder's, though in this case a bit more personal for characters like Chakotay and B'Elanna. Is she for real? Is she just doing this to trick them again? How do the Bajoran crew members feel about this? What would it take for her to win back people's trust? Say she does something messed up again, does she get a third chance? Would she make friends with Seven of Nine; someone she never personally betrayed who is also seeking redemption for past actions? Society if we'd gotten her as a regular character all the way till S7 - like an actually great redemption arc, where she ends up on good terms with a lot of them by the end (sort of like what they did with Garak on DS9) - ahhh the possibilities!!!

43. Order of shows from most to least favorite?

This is hard😅 okay I'm going to tier rank them that's easier!

Fav tier: DS9 (It's the best <3) Second tier: TNG (I can't not put it here this show literally changed my life) & VOY (has wonderful characters and has also become very important to me) Third tier: TOS movies (love them), Discovery (I have developed a nostalgia for it by now. Plus Michael is blorbo!) Fourth tier: TOS, SNW, Enterprise, Lower Decks (shows I've enjoyed but only really seen once so far) and I guess the AOS movies lol (imo 'Beyond' is the best one) Fifth tier: Picard (if it was just the first season it would've been higher! I actually liked that one) & the TNG movies (ugh) (I am yet to see TAS and Prodigy)